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Let your creative self unfurl with Paint My Story, an Orlando-based company with a two-hour, no-pressure painting experience that requires only your imagination. Held at local restaurants and led by an experienced art instructor, this creative new twist on ‘paint and sip’ nights guides you through the process of painting a beautiful watercolor storybook. With the help of…
Sundae Mondays! Taco Tuesdays! Daily specials at Soco Thornton Park will keep you coming back again and again. It’s not easy staying at the top in Orlando’s ever-growing restaurant scene. Last year’s best restaurants can quickly become overshadowed by this year’s new restaurants. Soco, a much-loved restaurant in downtown Orlando’s Thornton Park District, might have…
Win one of 12 two-night staycations at some of Central Florida’s best resorts and boutique hotels. Beat the heat this summer with a staycation at one of the many resorts and hotels across Orlando and Central Florida. Now offering spectacular summertime rates, these sprawling properties provide the perfect elements of a getaway for two. We’ve…
Explore the charming village and bike trails on one of the Gulf’s best Old Florida islands. Located on Gasparilla Island on Florida’s Gulf coast, Boca Grande has been a vacation hideaway for over a century, hosting historical celebrities from Henry Ford to Audrey Hepburn. And while the tiny town certainly exudes an air of elegance, it’s still a…
Enjoy fabulous fare at Black Rooster Taqueria then drinks at The Guesthouse! We’re kicking off a new series on Orlando Date Night Guide called “Double Date.” The idea is to give readers a complete date night itinerary rather than simply recommending one place. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sleuthing out lots of ideas in the…
One lucky couple is going on a dream date night to see Il Volo at the Dr. Phillips Center Downtown Orlando has hit a new stride. Spectacular outdoor art installations, award-winning restaurants and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts are just a few reasons why The City Beautiful is now our area’s best…
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CONCLUDED Thank you to all of our prize contributors and congratulations to all of our winners! Orlando Date Night Guide’s giveaway extravaganza is back this year with the return of 28 Days of Love. For all 29 days in February (woohoo, it’s a leap year!), a different winner will score one of…
Date night can be as simple as wine and a charcuterie board. Here is our current dream date night: two glasses of wine and a charcuterie board filled with salty, house cured meats, artisan cheese and doughy bread. We can solve the world’s problems, or at least reconnect after a long week, over this smattering…
Local foodies crossed their fingers when Soco opened its doors just over a year ago in the former Hue space. The brain child of executive chef/partner Greg Richie (formerly of Roy’s and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop), Soco promised to bring contemporary Southern cuisine to its little corner of Thornton Park, perched on the intersection of Central Blvd and Summerlin Avenue….
Our Do Good Date Night on November 7 with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida was such a blast. Held at Second Harvest’s 100,000+ square-foot facility on Mercy Drive in Orlando, the event brought together dozens of couples ready to roll up their sleeves and pitch in for a great cause. On this night we…
Gaylord Palms ICE! returns again in just a few weeks with its annual extravaganza of holiday cheer. From November 24, 2015 through January 3, 2016, this spectacular resort will showcase its legendary frosty wonderland crafted from 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice, this year with a new ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas theme. In addition,…
The Osprey Tavern in Baldwin Park is getting a lot of great press lately. Orlando Sentinel’s Heather McPherson wrote a glowing review in September. Tasty Chomp’s Ricky Ly gushed over Osprey’s brunch a few weeks ago writing: “Overall, one of the best brunches we’ve had in Orlando so far.” Scott Joseph has described it as…
There’s something so special, almost magical, about The Bistro on Park Avenue. Tucked into a secret courtyard just beyond the hustle and bustle of Park Avenue, the Bistro has been a date night favorite for years. Yelp users, Trip Advisor and Scott Joseph readers all agree… this is one of Orlando’s most romantic restaurants. That’s why…
Arguably one of Central Florida’s best food and wine tasting events, Cows ‘n Cabs returns to Winter Park for its 5th year on Saturday, October 24. A charity-based affair curated by ABC Fine Wine & Spirits’ David Larue and Chef John Rivers of 4 Rivers Smokehouse, the event is held under a gargantuan tent in…
WINNER: Cheryl Westenberg Head to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, October 14 for a chance to explore the flavors of more than 30 local restaurants and caterers participating in the 4th Annual Winter Park Wine & Dine. Held from 6pm – 9pm, this epicurean affair gives guests the opportunity to enjoy unlimited food samples,…
Updated July 2018 The worlds of food and cocktails have collided thanks to a blossoming craft cocktail movement that makes drinking much more of an epicurean experience than ever before. The sky truly is the limit for bartenders willing to think beyond spirit + mixer and instead aim to design multi-faceted recipes most of us…
Our Couples Road Trip to the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa’s SoHo District was a blast. From the hours spent by the pool on Saturday afternoon to our private wine & cheese tasting to our blindfolded dinner to the rooftop cocktails that served as the evening’s finale, every step of the way was filled with fun, laughter…
Celebrity chefs Emeril Lagasse, The Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and Guy Fieri will hit the stage at the Dr. Phillips Center later this year. In a series designed to give audiences the opportunity to hear these culinary icons share first-hand their passions and experiences in the kitchen, this three-part event is a must for Orlando foodies and…
Being Seminole County residents, Marc and I are always on the lookout for stellar restaurants that are close by. To be honest, the choices are slim. So, when friends raved about F&D Kitchen & Bar, a new farm-to-table concept in Lake Mary, we rushed right over. F&D has a spectacular dining space. Drenched in wood,…
Winner: Teresa Fowler It’s time to kick off another Couple at Large giveaway, which will give one lucky couple the chance to experience an unbelievable, unforgettable, all-expense-paid date night…. or in this case, getaway! The winner will have just one favor to return: the pair become the Couple at Large and are tasked with reporting…
Dr. Phillips’ Restaurant Row may have everything your stomach could ever desire but a new modern American restaurant is adding a handcrafted, locally sourced and seasonally-inspired menu to the mix. A notch well above the typical chain establishment, the 4,500 square-foot SLATE restaurant is a culinary endeavor launched by the Atlanta-based restaurant group Concentrics Restaurants. In charge…
Winner of the 2015 OpenTable Diner’s Choice award, Mynt in Winter Park’s historic Hannibal Square district is one of Central Florida’s finest purveyors of traditional Indian fare. Now a new traditional table-side Sunday brunch buffet is making Mynt a go-to destination for the most important meal of the weekend. To find a traditional Indian restaurants…
You’ve seen the billboards on I-4 and the commercials on TV. Clearly, Westgate River Ranch is aiming to tempt Orlando locals to visit this Central Florida dude ranch. And for good reason! As it turns out, this rambling resort is pretty awesome for couples and families, something we confirmed during a recent media visit. Situated…
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce’s annual showcase of local eateries returns to the Winter Park Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, April 15 when more than 45 of the area’s top chefs, bakers, caterers and confectioners are expected to participate in the 30th Annual Taste of Winter Park. Guests’ palates will be tempted by a variety of cuisines…
Enjoy a feel good date night at one of these fabulous fundraisers dotting the calendar in Orlando this spring. From gourmet galas to wine pairing parties, these fun fêtes double as a stellar night out plus a way to support local charitable organizations. Bacchus Bash Friday, April 10, 5-10pm Orlando Premium Outlets – Vineland Ave…
The Central Florida’s Zoo’s most popular fundraiser returns next month when Brews Around the Zoo beckons beer lovers to drink up and get wild. On Saturday, April 11 from 6-10pm, more than 30 different beers will be on tap to sample at 15 beer stations located around the zoo. This event raises over $40,000 for…
Wander through the “Eats” section of Orlando Date Night Guide and it won’t be long before you realize that I love chef’s tables. If every dinner out was comprised of a series of small plates, each designed to showcase the chef’s current passion and creative flare, I’d be in epicurean heaven. I don’t need to see…
There’s something so striking about the towering 31-floor Hyatt Regency Orlando with its regal glass peak set like citadel over International Drive. It’s a view you’ve probably caught from I-4 dozens of times but the impressive elegance of this huge hotel is not something you can fully appreciate until you step inside. And when you…
In January, Greg Clayton and his wife, Keeya, won the Winter Park Village – Couple at Large Giveaway, which scored them over $1,000 in gift certificates from Winter Park Village merchants and restaurants. Who knew this cute little corner of Winter Park had so much to offer?! The Claytons do now! Read on to see…
Do we all really need more stuff?? I have a hunch that many of the couples on your list would love an experience over a thing. So, consider giving them a date night gift, one that sends them out on the town for some quality time. And if the couple you’re giving a date night experience…
Dinner with seven, random strangers in a converted warehouse space turns out to be a fabulously fun night of unexpected delights. If you ask me, I believe we are in the midst of a cultural revolution where our obsession with the digital world and connecting online has actually caused many of us to crave human,…